4 Marcus Aurelius' Quotes That Are Changing My Life
How a former Roman emperor’s journal and an Intro to Philosophy class empowered me for life at large
Marcus Aurelius wasn’t planning on changing my life, I don’t think — not when he sat down to write his journal to himself as he slogged through the job of running Rome. But, he managed to anyways.
This year in my Intro to Philosophy class at Auburn I got to read some of Meditations, the published version of his journal, and was blessed by the experience. His words quickly began to transform my perspective and had me pondering thoughts I’d never had before.
“You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
I’ve often struggled with my sphere of influence. There are the things I can control, and the things I very much can’t. Like most people, I struggle with wanting to control the things I can’t. I also tend to claim responsibility for circumstances that I simply had no influence over. Neither are healthy.
This simple reminder yet powerful quote gave me some incredible perspective on why strong people are strong. It’s because they have the ultimate boundaries, aware of what they can control and have responsibility over, and what they don’t.
They know when they should apologize, and when something had nothing to do with them. This gives them an edge over everyone else — a supreme understanding of their place in the world that puts them much better off.
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”
This gets me every time. It also reminds me of the Kenny Chesney song, “Happy Does.” “Laugh and live with a half-full cup, Yeah, happy is as happy does” it goes. We are about as happy as we make ourselves out to be.
This is also a trend that’s repeated throughout many ancient philosophers — Plato said that we’re able to change our reality by changing our perspective on things. If we change our minds and the way we experience our reality, we will eventually be able to change our reality.
All of the neuroscience field today asserts what Marcus argued centuries ago. Change your thoughts, change your life. Have better thoughts, and your life will be better. This is also very similar to the ideas behind Cognitive Behavioral Therapy today.
“You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can’t control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone.”
Ryan Holiday, the man known for popularizing the stoic philosophy in the present day, talks about this quote and concept a lot. We don’t have to have an opinion about everything. In our culture today, it’s often insinuated that the only mark of true intelligence and competency is having a perspective on every single issue and topic circulating in the media or the political sphere.
This simply isn’t the case.
I agree with Marcus Aurelius. It’s a much better use of my time to worry about things that are relevant to me. I should place my energy into spaces where the topics are those which I have experience with, and where my opinion would actually create change one way or another.
Everything else is just virtue signaling or jumping on a bandwagon with the wild world around us.
“Do not indulge in dreams of having what you have not, but reckon up the chief of the blessings you do possess, and then thankfully remember how you would crave for them if they were not yours.”
This quote brings me so many thoughts about how we oftentimes don’t do gratitude as well as we should. Gratitude for what you have is incredible. But I think there’s another step we can take to make our appreciation for what we have even more visceral.
Think about how bleak and unfortunate your life would be without the things you have right now. Very quickly I can imagine the dreadful experience I’d be having without my family, my home, or my friends and community. This makes my gratitude so much stronger.
Think about your things as if they weren’t yours for a second — and you’ll be brought back to your reality with a much more deep appreciation for your station and blessings in life. Take a second and realize how much you have and how far you’ve come.
The things you aspire to and dream about in the future will seem a little less urgent, and the things you so desperately want and believe would make your life better will seem a little less necessary as you sink into what incredible blessings you have right now.
Stoic philosophy is coming back for a reason. It’s a powerful way to walk through life, fully empowered to be who you need to be while being mindful of the influence of the world around you.
I hope these quotes will bless and inform your life the way they have mine. Best of luck in all your adventures!
